Take Mewtwo-EX to the Next Level!

There is very little disagreement that Mewtwo-EX (98/99) is the card to fear in the Black & White—Next Destinies expansion. Its X Ball attack is a game-changer, with a cheap attack cost of 2 Colorless Energy and virtually unlimited damage potential. There are very few decks that wouldn’t be better with Mewtwo-EX in them, so expect to see this Pokémon pop up everywhere.

But even the most powerful cards can use a little help now and then, especially if you choose to make a card like Mewtwo-EX the primary attacker in your deck. Fortunately for you (and sob-inducing for your opponents), several great cards have appeared recently that will solidify Mewtwo-EX’s role as a nearly unstoppable powerhouse.

Mewtwo-EX can do a pretty good job holding its own in battle with virtually no support from other Pokémon. But one Pokémon, Gardevoir (57/99), can really push Mewtwo-EX to new heights. When Gardevoir is in play, its Psychic Mirage Ability makes all Psychic Energy attached to all of your Psychic Pokémon worth 2 Psychic Energy. This means that Mewtwo-EX can start doing a minimum of 40 damage (before even considering the amount of Energy the Defending Pokémon has attached to it) for the cost of 1 Psychic Energy. That’s just nasty. And don’t forget about Mewtwo-EX’s other attack, Psydrive, which does 120 damage but makes you discard 1 Energy; with Gardevoir in play, you’ll be ready to put that attack into play almost as soon as Mewtwo-EX takes the field.

Double Colorless Energy (92/99) is a natural fit for Mewtwo-EX, and you’re better off including as much of it as you can. However, because it is a Special Energy card, it can be difficult to play; most of the Trainer cards for fetching Energy cards from your deck and discard pile specify that you can only get basic Energy cards. For example, the great new Cilan (86/99) Trainer-Supporter card lets you search for 3 basic Energy cards and add them to your hand. When it’s that easy to play basic Energy, Gardevoir becomes all the more valuable: one Cilan card gives you the equivalent of 6 basic Psychic Energy cards when Gardevoir is in play, and it’s Energy that you would otherwise not be able to retrieve at will.

Perhaps the biggest threat to Mewtwo-EX is that it’s a Pokémon-EX—if your opponent manages to Knock Out Mewtwo-EX, he or she will draw two Prize cards. And despite having an incredible 170HP, there are plenty of high-caliber cards out there that can take Mewtwo-EX out. That being the case, Eviolite (Black & White—Noble Victories, 91/101) is one of your best assets. It reduces attack damage by 20 to the Basic Pokémon it’s attached to, and Mewtwo-EX fits that bill. Alternatively, use Rocky Helmet (Black & White—Noble Victories, 94/101), which does 20 damage back at the Defending Pokémon every time that Pokémon hits Mewtwo-EX—and it might require a lot of hits to take Mewtwo-EX down.

There’s no question that Mewtwo-EX is a tank capable of delivering—and sustaining—a lot of damage. And with the right support, it can become the centerpiece to your tournament-worthy deck.